Apparatus for developing films without a darkroom



Jan. 30, 1940- R. HUERTA ET AL APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING FILMS WITHOUT A DARKROOM Filed Oct. 2'7, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS. RAYMOND HUERT/I. xuvr Jan. 30, 1940. R. HUERTA ET AL 2,188,299

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING FILMS WITHOUT A DARKROOM Filed 001;. 27, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTORS. RAYMOND HUEAT/J.

Patented Jan. 30, 1940 PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING FILMS WITHOUT A DARKROOM Raymond Huerta, Bronx, and Anthony Grendanin, New York, N. Y.

Application October 27, 1938, Serial No. 237,224

2 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for developing films without a darkroom.

An object of this invention is to provide apparatus of the character described, comprising a box or case having an opening with a black sleeve fastened over the opening,- through which a 'hand may be inserted into the box for unreeling an exposed roll of film by means of apparatus'within the box, so that the unreeled film may be placed within a developing tank within the box, while the box is closed.

A further object of this invention is to provide in apparatus of the character described, means forseparately unreeling the film and paper of a j; roll of film within the box by means of a handle disposed on the outside of the box, means being further provided to start unreeling of the roll of film while the box is open.

A still further object of this invention is to provide portable apparatus of the character described, which shall be easy to manipulate, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and yet practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplifled in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. l is a perspective view of the apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig; 2 is a perspective view of the improved apparatus with the top ofthe case lifted open;

Fig, 3 is an elevational, cross-sectional view through the handle and paper receiving reel;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal, vertical, cross-sectional view through a portion of the apparatus;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a portion oi the apparatus and Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. i, but illustrating a modified construction.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, 10 designates apparatus embodying the invention, comprising a box or case ll, having a base por- 0 tion l2, and a top or cover portion 53. The base portion. l2 has a bottom wall l5, short upstanding front and rear walls 15, and short upstandingside walls H.

' The cover l3 comprises a top wall l9, a front wall 20, a rear wall 2|, and side walls 22. The

lower edge cf-one of the side walls 22 is hinged, as at 2 3, to the upper end of one of the side walls ll of the base. When the cover is closed, the bottom edges of the cover rest on the upper edges of the base. The cover is considerably taller than the base, so that when the cover'is open, the film unwinding apparatus 25, mounted on the base, projects upwardly from the base. A supporting chain 2'5 may interconnect the'base with the cover. The front wall 20 of the cover is formed with an opening 21. The opening may be closed by a door.

Fastened to the edges of the opening is a cloth sleeve 22'), having an elastic inner edge 38. The sleeve projects into the case. When the door 28 is opened, a hand may be inserted into the box through the sleeve, and the elastic edge grips the wrist, so that no light can enter the case. Any suitable fastener means 32'may be provided to retain the cover-in closed position on the base.

On the bottom wall l5 of the base I2 is a base plate 325, on which unwinding apparatus 25' is mounted. Said apparatus comprises a pair of spaced, vertical, upstanding supports 36. Attached to one of the supports 35 is a horizontal, cylindrical member 37 having an end wall 38 formed with a central opening 39. Said support 36 is formed with an opening 4i), co-axia-l with the opening 39.

Extending through the openings 39, it is a reel unwinder member 412. The member 42 has a key 44 at one end adapted to be received in the usual key slot at one end of a film spool 45. Extending from the key M is a stem 46, passing through the opening 39. A coll compression spring 41 is interposed between the key and the end wall 38 of the cylinder. On stem 46 is a circular head 48 formed with a pair of diametrically opposed openings it, for the purpose hereinafter appearing,

The other support 36 has a fixed pintle to receive the other end of the spool 45. The head 48 is furthermore formed with a radial screw threaded opening 50. A small angular handle member 5!, having a screw threaded end portion, may be screwed into the opening 59, to start unwinding of the spool 45, when the cover is open, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The spool it. may be released from the supports 35 by pu1ling the member 42 to the right, against the pressure of the spring 41, to withdraw the key M from the key slot in the spool.

Means is further provided to Wind the spool when the cover is closed. To this end, one side wall 22 of the cover is formed with a through opening 55, aligned with spool 45. Attached to the inner and outer sides of said wall 22 are rings 56 and 51, having openings registering with the openings 55,

Extending through the opening 55 and the openings in the rings 56, 51, is a rod 60. Attached to the outer end of the rod 60, and disposed on the outside of the box, is a handle 6|. Attached to the inside of the rod 66 is a head 62, having a pair of spaced pins 63, adapted to be received within the openings 49 of head 48. Interposed between the head 62 and the ring 5! is a coil compression spring 64.

When the cover is closed the spring 64 pushes the pins 63 into the openings 49, so that when the crank handle 6| is turned from the outside of the box, spool 45 will be rotated.

There is further mounted on the base plate 35, a pair of parallel upstanding supports 66, aligned with the supports 36. On the upper end of one of the supports 66 is a fixed pintle 61, to support one end of a horizontal film spool 68. At the upper end of the other support 66 is a spring pressed pintle 69 adapted to releasably support the other end of the spool 68.

On the base plate 35 is another pair of vertical upstanding supports I0, parallel and aligned with the supports 66. At the upper end of the supports I6 is rotatably mounted a horizontal idler shaft H.

There is further mounted on the base plate 35, an upstanding support I3, provided with a short horizontal shaft I4, parallel to spools 45 and 68 and shaft I|. Mounted on the shaft I4 is a spiral film holder I5. The film holder I5 has a pair of parallel, similar, symmetrically disposed, spaced walls TI, formed on the inner surfaces thereof, with spiral grooves 18. Walls TI are interconnected by an axial hollow shaft frictionally receiving the shaft 14. The member I5 may be slipped off the shaft I4.

There may also be placed within the case M, a suitable tank adapted to contain film developing solution, and to receive the film holder I5. Said tank may be of any suitable well known construction and is thereforenot illustrated in the drawings.

The method of using the improved apparatus will now be described:

The cover is first opened, and holder I5 placed on shaft I4. A roll I9 of exposed film is then mounted on the pintles 61, 69 at upper ends of the supports 66. The sheet of paper 80 from the roll I9 is Wound over the idler shaft II and the end thereof inserted into the usual slot in the spool 45 on the supports 36. The film 82 from the roll I9 is inserted into the grooves I8 of the film holder I5. The unwinding of the paper is begun by using the handle 5| screwed to the opening 56.

It will be noted that as the paper is unwound, the film will push its way into the grooves I8. After the paper is somewhat unwound, the handle 5| is removed and the cover |3 is closed. Before the cover is closed, the handle 6| is drawn back to retract the head 62, pressing the spring 64. When the cover is down onthe base l2, the handle is released and somewhat turned so that the pins 63 will snap into the openings 49. The handle 6| may then be turned until the film 82 is completely unwound from the roll 19 and pushed completely into the spiral tracts or grooves I8, so that the film is completely mounted on the holder I5. The door 28 may then be opened and a hand inserted through-the sleeve 29 into the box. The holder I5 may then be slipped off the shaft I4 and inserted into the film developing tank (which is in the box), for development.

In Fig. 6 there is shown a modified construction. In said figure, the base 35 is provided with a support I3 to removably support the film holder I5. On the base 35 are a pair of upstanding supports 66, disposed on one side of the film holder for supporting a roll of film 19 to be unwound.

On said base 35 are a pair of supports 36, disposed on the other side of the film holder I5, and supporting a spool 45 and unwinding mechanism, similar to that shown in Fig. 3, of the drawings. With this arrangement, the idler II is eliminated as the film 82 is unwound from the roll I9 to the film holder I5, and the sheet of paper 80 is unwound directly onto the spool 45.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. Apparatus of the character described comprising a case having a base, and a cover for said base hinged thereto and having side, front and rear walls, one of the walls of the cover being formed with an opening, and a flexible sleeve attached to said cover and surrounding the opening and extending into the case, means on said base to rotatably support a roll of film, a spool on said base receiving the paper from said roll, a spiral film holder adapted to receive the film from said roll, means on the base to removably support said spiral film holder, means on the cover to concurrently unwind the paper and film from said roll of film onto said paper spool and film holder, respectively, a door for closing the opening in the cover, and means for unwinding the film and paper from said roll, with the cover opened up. 3

2. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a case having a base, and a coverfor said base hinged thereto and having side, front and rear walls, one of the walls of the cover being formed with an opening, and a flexible sleeve attached to said cover and surrounding the opening and extending into the case, means on said base to rotatably suport a roll of film, a spool on the base for receiving the paper from said roll, a spiral film holder adapted to receive the film from said roll, means on the base, to removably support said spiral film holder, means on the cover to concurrently unwind the paper and film from said roll of film onto said paper spool and film holder, respectively, a door for closing the opening in the cover, means for un- RAYMOND HUERTA. ANTHONY GRENDANIN. 

